Eye of the Beholder
by Zowieyaoi
Summary: The string of destiny connects us all. So what if there was a Wu who could find the thread that connects you to your true beloved? And what if your true beloved was on the opposite side of the Xiaolin/Haylin war? Warning: Crack Pairing, and I don't mean a Jack/Chase pairing.
1. Arrow of Destiny

**ZY** : GAHH! Curse my easily distracted mind! ... That's it no more sodas before bed.

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Eye of the Beholder.

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Chapter 1: The Arrow of Destiny.

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"WU ALART! WU ALART!" Dojo shouted wiggling and jiggling as he approached Omi, Ray, Kimiko, and Clay. Carrying the Ancient Scroll of Shen Gong Wu with him.

"What's the Wu this time?" Ray asked the dragon. Dojo opened the scroll, showing the gang a black image of an arrow inside a blue circle. The words Arrow of Destiny was written in bold black letters under the circle. Dojo explained "The Arrow of Destiny is a Wu that leads a person to their true destiny, whatever that means. Dashi was pretty vague when he was making that one."

"I'm thinking we should get this Wu, after all, we don't actually know what it does and that in itself is dangerous," Kimiko stated, Clay nodded, and Ray agreed. Omi happily said "Then let's get the bag out of the sand and van-noose." The four shook their head, and Clay stated "I think ya mean "Get the sand out of the bag" and "vamoose", little buddy." Omi gave a confused look and said "That makes no sense..." Dojo, Ray, Kimiko, and Clay sighed.

}i{ }i{ Twenty Minutes Later }i{ }i{

The Monks were currently fighting with Jack Spicer's robo minions. Can't say it was hard. But when Hannibal Bean and Wuya appeared... Well, take a guess.

}i{ }i{ Over a Hill, Nearby }i{ }i{

Chase Young was doing some Tai-Chi. He decided to feel the essence of nature this time around while he did his daily practice. It was reeeeeealy relaxing.

"ORB OF TSUMANE, WATER!"

"STAR HANABI, FIRE!"

"SWORD OF THE NEBULA, WIND!"

"FIST OF TEBIGON, EARTH!"

"MOBI-MORPHER!"

Now it was no longer relaxing. Chase stopped his Tai-Chi and turned towards the direction of the shouting. 'What are those Monks and that Bean doing here?' Chase thought bitterly. The one day where the Prince of Darkness didn't want to do any evil and just relax, was being interrupted by a bunch of idiots.

"MONKEY STAFF!"

Okay... All of the Idiots...

"MANTIS FLIP COIN!" shouted the witches voice.

'Was every annoyances there?' Chase thought, grudgingly walked towards the fight. He might as well see what the fuss was about, though it was probably over one of Dashi's toys.

}i{ }i{ Where the Fight is Taking Place }i{ }i{

The fight continued, until... "I FOUND IT!" Jack shouted, holding up the golden arrow. The fight immediately stopped. Chase saw this from were he was standing and in all honestly, he wasn't all that impressed. So he decided to move to another location so he could continue his Tai-Chi. But before anyone could do anything, Jack then shouted "ARROW OF DESTINY! SHOW ME, JACK SPICER, THE PATH TO GREATNESS!"

Nothing happened. Everyone blinked Now Chase was curious. 'I know Dashi liked his toys, but there's no way he'd make one that doesn't work,' Chase thought watching the "Evil Boy Genius" trying to get the Wu to work. Still nothing happened. Chase suddenly sensed something. Something close.

}i{ }i{

Omi was the first to ask "Does the Wu not work?" Ray commented "That's a first." Clay scratched his head and asked "Ya'll think that maybe, that ain't the actual Wu?" Dojo immediately stated that the Wu Jack was holding WAS indeed a real Wu and that the rash on his tail was also real. Eww, gross.

"Then... Why isn't it working?" Kimiko asked as Jack shouted out the name of the Wu another time. Dojo scratched his head and said "I don't know." The dragon then pulled the Ancient Scroll of Shen Gong Wu put of nowhere, trying to find out why the Wu wasn't working.

So far the Bean and Wuya were arguing over weather or not they should even take the Wu.

Suddenly, Case Young landed near the Monks. He looked reeeeeeeeeely peeved. Jack was overjoyed and happily stated to his idol " Chase! You're here! Did you see me find the Wu?" Chase growled out "Not now Worm." Then a series of golden arrow were launched towards the Prince of Darkness. Chase easily dodged them.

Ummmm... Where did those arrows come from? The next thing everyone knew, golden arrows where flying all over the place. Everyone was jumping around like a bunch of jackrabbit, trying their best not to get hit by the projectiles.

Where did all of these things come from?!

Because everyone was avoiding the arrows, nobody was paying attention to their surroundings. Ray and Omi kept running into each other and Wuya kept hitting trees. One of the arrows opened a portal to the YinYang World and forced Hannibal Bean and his bird YinYin into it right before it closed, trapping the two forever in the YinYang World, but no one really noticed that. (1)

"Dang nab-bit! Where are all of these here arrow are comin' from?" Clay hollered to his fellow Monks. Dojo was trying to hide under the scroll, while the other three monks were dodging the arrows from nowhere.

After dodging a fleet of arrows, Jack dropped the Arrow of Destiny somewhere along the line. At the moment, he didn't care, he just wanted to stay alive.

The next thing the Xiaolin Dragon of Earth knew he was back-to-back with Chase Young. This was weird...

The arrows suddenly disappeared, leaving everyone in a fit of confusion. Everyone stood still, exactly where they were. All looked around. Was the barrage of arrows the doing of the Arrow of Destiny or was it the work of some unknown enemy?

Now everyone was on edge. Clay was still back-to-back to Chase when he saw the Arrow of Destiny a few paces away, the tip of it was pointed directly at him.

What Raymundo, Kimiko, Omi, Dojo, Wuya, and Jack knew, a golden light pierced threw the hearts of Clay and Chase. All present company couldn't believe their eyes. The Monks and Dojo shouted "CLAY!" while Jack shouted "CHASE!" and all rushed to the one they shouted to.

}i{ }i{

Both Chase and Clay caught themselves before they could fall and both were clutching their chests. "Clay are you alive?" Air Monk asked the Earth Monk. Clay nodded and removed his hands from his chest, there was no indication that he was even hit. Omi's eye widened as he said "That is most peculiar. You were indeed hit live off." Kimoko corrected the Water Monk by saying "I think you mean "Dead On" Omi." "But Clay is alive..." Omi said cluelessly.

Chase was also fine, but for some reason his heart felt lighter. Jack kept pestering Chase if he was okay. The Prince of Darkness pushed the boy-genius aside and stating that he was "Just annoyed". Chase pinched the bridge of his nose and said "I merely wanted a nice quiet day to myself, but I end up in the middle of a barrage of arrows from unknown locations."

"Wait, you telling us that you just happen to be by when this whole this happened?" Kimiko stated. No one noticed that Wuya was sneaking away or the fact that Hannibal Bean and his bird was no longer in this world. Chase sighed and stated "Yes, it was an unfortunate coincidence." He walked away, not even looking at the Monks, and said in an evil tone "But next time, it won't be a coincidence."

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Since Jack was a bit freaked out about the Arrow of Destiny, he let the Monks have it without a Xiaolin Showdown. Not that they were complaining or anything. It was just... Well... For a Wu that didn't do what it was suppose to do... Okay, it was just weird, plain and simple.

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Later that night. Everyone was asleep, well, everyone but Dojo. He was trying to figure out what went wrong with the Arrow of Destiny, so he was currently reading Ancient Scroll of Shen Gong Wu section about that Wu.

"Ah! Here it it," Dojo said quietly, so not to wake anyone in the temple. Dojo mumbled the description on the Arrow of Destiny "Hmmm. A Wu that leads a person to their true destiny... Wait!" The description was smudged! Dojo cleaned off the smudge to read the real description. "The Arrow of Destiny is a Wu that will lead a person to their true destined one by shooting them in the hearts by a golden light..." Dojo read and then thought for a moment. Didn't that happen with... "Oh!" Dojo realized what the Wu actually does and what just happened earlier in the day. Dojo then thought 'No wonder Dashi was on the hush hush about it, but wait... If the Arrow of Destiny hit both Clay and Chase, does that mean...'

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Clay was tossing and turning in his bed as his dream continued through the night.

The Xiaoling Dragon of Earth knew it WAS a dream, because everything was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too weird. Chase was on the side of good, by his own will, and he was practically anchored to Clay's side. Guess the weird thing was, Clay liked it.

The Monk turned to his side as his dream continued.

}i{ }i{

Chase on the other hand was having a real pleasant dream.

He dreamed that he had taken over the entire world. Chaos rained supreme and the Xiaolin Monks were in hiding. This was all thanks to his loyal apprentice. "Lord Chase, those Monks have been captured," the apprentice said happily. Hold on... Dream Chase looked in the direction of his apprentice. The apprentice wasn't Omi, The Wind Monk, or the Fire Monk. The Earth Monk was Chase Young's apprentice!?

Chase awoke with a jolt.

After a minute or so, Chase got out of his bed and walked towards his meditation room. He needed to get that dream out of his head.

}i{ }i{ An Hour Later }i{ }i{

Chase was sitting in the lotus meditative position. That dream DID NOT leave his mind. 'Why on earth would I be dreaming of THAT one being my apprentice?' Chase thought, trying to make sense of that dream. What was the Earth Xiaolin's name? Cory? No. Clip? No. Kyle? No, no, his name began with a C, that the immortal knew... Oh! The girl of the group called him Clay! How appropriate.

Chase thought about the Earth Monk's character for a bit. The boy was obviously not the brightest of the group, he had a big appetite (Chase learnt that from when he was spying on them with an actual useful Wu, in Chase's opinion), was a too attached to that cowboy hat he wears, was too softhearted, easily manipulated, was physically the strongest of the group, solves things in a different way, a pretty good cook (From what Chase hears), knows how to handle his enemies... Maybe Clay WOULD make a pretty good apprentice after all.

Chase placed a hand to his chin. 'That dream seemed a bit too perfect though,' Chase thought as the sun rose over the horizon.

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To be Continued...

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1) What? I find this character to be more of an annoyance then an actual evil villain, so I trapped his and his bird in the YinYang World so no one has to deal with him in this story.

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ZY: I might as well light the match for this. Yup the pairing in this fic is Chase/Clay... Guess this is the first fic with this pairing... Ummmmm, comment in you like this... Or not... Um, your choice, but I would like some feedback on this story, mostly because it's sort of the first of it's kind...


	2. Seriously!

ZY: This is a short chapter, but it's the monk's reactions.

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Eye of the Beholder Chapter 2; Seriously?!

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Three of the Monks were dressed and were currently getting ready for breakfast. It was Raymundo turn to cook. Kimiko was setting the table for everyone while Omi was making the orange juice. Dojo came into the kitchen and asked where Clay was. "Still sleeping, I guess," Ray said flipping the flapjacks on a plate. Kimiko piped in a "Odd... Usually Clay's the first one up." "Perhaps he is merely exhausted from all that fighting and the dodging of the arrows form yesterday," Omi suggested. It was a good suggestion, but it was highly unlikely, there was NO WAY Clay would ever be late for a meal.

Almost on cue, Clay walked into the kitchen still in his pjs and looked like he hasn't even slept at all last night. "Mournin' guys..." Clay said as groggy as anyone could. "Whoa, Clay! What happened? Did you have a nightmare or something?" Kimiko asked as Clay took his seat at the table with VERY LITTLE enthusiasm. "An't sure ifa callin' that dream a nightmare isa tha right thin' ta say," Clay said groggily. That was when Dojo asked "If I may be so bold to ask what it was about?" Clay shrugged and said "Sure... Why not."

So, Clay explained his entire dream, not really leaving any details out. The other Monks weren't sure what to say... Clay being Chase Young's Lover?! Too weird... "That must be the most oddest dream my ears have ever heard," Omi said with his eyes bugging out of his head. "Listen, I'm cool with two guys being a couple and all, but you and Chase..." Raymundo said with a soured look on his face, Kimiko agreed. "Be thankful ya'll didn't see that dream. I even knew it was a dream, but still, yeah, it was weird," Clay said with droopy eyes.

"Ummm... Actually, guys..." Dojo finally said, getting everyone's attention. He HAD TO tell them the real power of the Arrow of Destiny.

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Chase Young was reeeeeeeeeeeeealy annoyed right now. Why? Because that worm, Jack Spicer, was annoying him by explaining what some of his latest inventions. 'Why does the worm think I care about his little toys?' Chase thought as the red-headed "genius" vigorously talked about the Jack-Bot next to him. If he didn't have self-control, Chase would have killed the worm the moment he met him.

Hold on... Maybe the Worm's toys COULD be of some use to Chase. "I believe I know how those toys of yours could impress me," The Prince of Darkness said with an evil gleam in his eyes. "Really!" Jack said with sparkles in his eyes. An evil grin appeared on Chase's face. These robots could show Chase how much potential the Xiaolin Earth Dragon had.

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Dojo just finished explaining the true ability of the Arrow of Destiny, all four monks were dead quite.

"You mean... The Wu, finds the true love of a person?" Kimiko asked, making sure if she was hearing it right. Dojo opened the Ancient Scroll of Shen Gong Wu and showed everyone the explanation of the Wu. "So when the arrow shot that golden light..." Ray asked the dragon after reading the scroll. Dojo nodded. "The Wu was indeed showing us that Friend Clay and Chase Young are..." Omi said, unable to finish the sentence.

Clay simply fainted.

It was official, no one saw this coming...

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ZY: Until next chapter...


	3. My Heart

**ZY** : Okay my readers, chapter 3.

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Eye of the Beholder Chapter 3; My Heart

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Clay regained consciousness right before the next Wu reviled itself. Okay, two Wu relieved themselves at the same time, and in the same location. Talk about lucky.

The Wus were the Morpho Musical and the Kichi-Keen Scythe. (1)

The Morpho Musical Wu was more for fun then fighting. The Wu could turn into any musical instrument that the user wishes. Dojo explained that the Morpho Musical was one of Dashi's favorite Wus to use to relax.

While the Keen-Eyed Scythe was a fighting Wu, more for the wind element. The Wu enhances the user's eyesight during the fight to point out the weakness in the opponent.

Well... They're Wus, so the Xiaolin Dragons will go after them.

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Chase kept his distance from the monks, making sure none of them caught wind of him. "Are we really just going to watch?" asked one of Chase's Jungle Cats, a Tiger. "We are, we will not interfere in any way," Chase said with a smile and added "We are simply observing the potectial of the Earth Monk." "The Earth Monk? Why?" asked a Panther. "I had... A vision that the Earth Monk would make an excellent apprentice," Chase said, choosing his words carefully. No way in hell he was telling ANYONE that Chase Young had a very lovely dream that Clay WAS the perfect apprentice for him, or the fact that the Earth Monk made his heart feel like it was full of feathers and warmth. The Jungle Cats just looked at one another.

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Clay found the Morpho Musical. The first thing he did was test it out, it morphed into a violin. "Whooo wheee, it really did turn inta a fiddle," Clay said happily. He was certainly in a better mood now then when he was earlier. Now all that was left to do was to find the Keen-Eyed Scythe. Maybe they should look over the hill...

}i{ }i{ Five Minutes Later }i{ }i{

Jack and his new and improved Jack-Bots attacked the monks when they got close to the Keen-Eyed Scythe.

And boy were these bots improved. The only one doing damage was Clay.

Jack used his backpack to fly towards the Wu. Clay bashed a bot to the side and stormed towards the Wu. Both Jack and the Earth Monk touched the scythe-like object at the same time.

"Clay, I challenge you to a Xaiolin Showdown," Jack shouted. "Name you're game Spicer," Clay replied cooly. Jack smirked and said "The game is Sooth the Beast, first one to sooth the beast wins. My Treasure of the Blind Swordsman against your... Um, what Wu do you have?" Clay held out the Morpho Musical. Jack raised a brow and asked "There's actually a musical Wu? Oh, well."

The Keen-Eyed Scythe flew into the air and the environment changed.

"Gong Ye Tempai!" Jack and Clay shouted, and the Showdown began.

}i{ }i{

"Sooth the Beast? Really?" the Panther stated more than asked. "Not much of a genius..." The Lion Jungle Cat said. Chase couldn't suppress a sigh as he muttered "The worm is merely a tool."

}i{ }i{

The Beast in the Showdown tossed Jack clear from the area in one blow, before he could activate Treasure of the Blind Swordsman. No one was really surprised by this.

"Morpho Musical!" Clay called activating the Wu, turning it into a violin. Clay tucked the butt of the instrument under his chin and readied the bow, getting ready to play.

}i{ }i{

"Does the cowboy think a country toon's going to sooth that thing?" The Panther asked.

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When Clay started playing, everyone was quiet. They all were surprised that the cowboy wasn't playing a country toon.

(this a the link to the song Clay's playing btw, watch?v=0wEYzY4pvBk )

The Earth Monk was playing the song so beautifully.

When did he learn to play?

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Chase couldn't help but stare at the Earth Monk as he played. The flawless movement of his fingers on the violin and motion of the bow on the strings, the beautiful sound emitting from the instrument simply complemented these actions. This made The Prince of Darkness heart feel... Warm. The Jungle Cats were too busy listening to Clay play to notice that their master's cheeks turned pink.

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Clay won the Showdown, not that no one saw this coming. The Xaiolin Monks took the Wu back to the Temple.

}i{ }i{ Chase Young's Lair }i{ }i{

"Lord Chase... Are you feeling well?" the Tiger asked his master. Chase shook his head and said "I am... Not too sure... This feeling... Maybe it was that Wu..." Now the Jungle Cats noticed their master's face was pink. "Which one, sir?" asked the Lion. "That arrow Wu! This feeling started when that Wu came into play," Chase said and then called an Ocicat to his side. "Yes, Lord Chase," the smaller Jungle Cat said. The Prince of Darkness ordered the small cat to infiltrate to Xaiolin Temple and find out everything about the Arrow of Destiny. The Ocicat bowed and left the lair to fulfill the order.

"Feeling, Master?" the Tiger asked. Chase kept his back to his loyal minions and said "Feelings... I haven't felt in... A very, very, very long time..." 'Not since...' Chase thought bitterly. But the image of the Earth Monk soothed those feelings.

}i{ }i{ Xiaolin Temple }i{ }i{

"Were'dja learn to play, Clay?" Ray asked the older monk. Clay blushed and said nervously with red on his face "I, ummmm, well, I, ummm, liked tha fiddle, so, I, ummmm, secretly learnt ta play it." Kimiko smiled and patted Clay on the arm and said "Awww, Clay, you don't have to hide that here." Clay tilted his hat with a grin.

"I have thought up the most bestest idea that could possibly be thought up!" Omi exclaimed happily. "What is it?" Dojo asked the Water Monk. "When we next run into Chase, Clay shall play the Morpho Musical, and make Chase realized the greatness in the side of good, and join the Xiaolin side, and bestest of all, Friend Clay and Chase will live happily ever after and we will be honorable uncles to their cute little kids," Omi explained with a grin bigger then his head.

Ray, Kimiko, Clay, and Dojo didn't say a single word for a very long five minutes. There were soooooooooooooooooooooooooo many flaws in that plan. Finally, Ray asked "Ummm, Omi... Do you even know where babies come from?" With that smile on his face, Omi said "Indeed I do, they are brought to people who have a desire to have babies by a very nice stork." Kimiko sighed and said "Omi, I don't think that that plan with work." "Why?" Omi asked with really big eyes.

This is probably going to be a while.

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1) Like the Arrow of Destiny, these are fan-made Wus.

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 **ZY** : Not going to say anything about Omi's utter innocence. Anyway, next chapter will have Chase and Clay finally interacting (Awkwardly) with one another.


	4. One on One

ZY: I really shouldn't drink soda before bed...

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Eye of the Beholder Chapter 4; One on One

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It's been an entire week since the last Wu awoke. But the Monks kept up their training, just in case. But, Clay was a bit distracted. He kept looking in the Ancient Scroll of Shen Gong Wu to re-read the description of the Arrow of Destiny. No one could really blame the Earth Monk.

Master Fung asked Monk Master Guan to come by and tell everyone what he knew of the Arrow of Destiny. So he did, but the info wasn't what the Monks expected.

"You're kidding!" Ray exclaimed. Guan simply nodded and said "It's true. Because this Spicer kid activated the Arrow of Destiny without the intention to find his Destined One, the Wu immediately searched for the nearest pair of Soulmates to shine its light on and it created events that cause the two to get close enough to do so." "So THAT'S why all of those arrows were shooting at us, it was to get Clay and Chase in close proximity to one another," Kimiko said, completely shocked at the explanation. Omi's mouth was wide open. Clay went pale. "But, if one were to activate the Arrow of Destiny WITH the intention of finding their Destined One, the Arrow WILL point the way to that person," Guan completed his explanation.

Dojo scratched his head and asked "How come Dashi told you but didn't tell me what the Wu did?" Guan lowered his head and said "Dashi... Actually told me this before he hid it... In all honestly, *Smiles* I never expected him to create a Wu that plays the part of Cupid." Dojo placed a claw on his chin and wondered out loud why Dashi would create such a Wu. The Monks shrugged, well, all but Clay.

"How... Ummm... Accurate... Is the Arrow of Destiny...?" Clay finally asked, clenching his fist on his knee. Guan answered "Considering how well the other Wu work, I'm sorry to say that it might be pretty accurate..." Guan held up the Arrow of Destiny and handed it to Clay before saying "I believe there is only one way to find out... You must use this Wu with the intent to find your Destined One." the Earth Monk took the Wu and just stared at it, not really sure if he should use it or not.

}i{ }i{

The Ocicat heard everything as he sat on top of the wall of the temple. "I should report this to Lord Chase right away," the small Jungle Cat muttered to himself. Then he jumped off the wall, outside of the temple, and scampered off. Towards his home.

}i{ }i{ An Hour Later, About Two Hours Before Sunset }i{ }i{

Clay decided that he needed to clear his head a bit, this WAS a lot of information to take in, so he left the Temple for a bit to walk. Master Fung was fine with it, but he wanted Clay back at the Temple before it got really dark. Clay agreed and headed off. Ray, Kimiko, and Omi couldn't help but worry about their friend. Who could blame them, if what Guan said was true, then Clay was the Soulmate of the Heylin Prince of Darkness.

}i{ }i{

When Clay could no longer see the Temple, he pulled the Arrow of Destiny out of one of his cowboy boots. He hid the Wu there when no one was looking, and as far as he knew, no one was aware that that particular Wu was missing. Clay needed to know if this Wu WAS indeed telling him the truth. After taking a couple of deep breaths, the Earth Monk said quietly "Arrow of Destiny... Lead me to my *gulp* Destined One..." The arrow started glowing and then floated into the air. Clay watched as the arrow turned towards a certain direction and pulled ahead of him. The cowboy gulped and followed the Wu.

}i{ }i{

After 30 minutes of following the Arrow of Destiny, Clay found himself in a rocky area. Suddenly, the arrow pointed up. Clay couldn't help but think why the Wu would do something like that. "You're quite aways from home, aren't you little monk." Those words made Clay's heart stop. The Earth Monk's gaze followed the direction the arrow was pointing to. There standing on top of a rock pillar was Chase Young, with his arms folded and his amber eyes on the Xiaolin monk. Clay took a step back as Chase jumped off the pillar and landed not to far from where the monk was. As the Prince of Darkness casually placed his arms behind his back, he asked with a smirk "Tell me, what brings you to this particular location, little monk?" Clay gulped, made sure he kept his distance from the Heylin warrior, and said "I was... Lookin' fur a nice place ta practice my element. If ya haven't notice, there's plenty of earth here." Chase raised a brow in a mater that showed that he knew that the Earth Monk was lying and ask almost sarcastically "Really? If I recall, *starts circling Clay, like a tiger stalking a rabbit* your temple is quiet a distance from here. Now why would you go so out of the way just to find such a place to practice?" Clay gulped again, not taking his eyes off the immortal, and finally saying "I... Wanted ta make sure I didn' hurt my friends when I practice some new moves. I nearly crushed Dojo by accident last time I tried." Clay was not liking how the Heylin warrior was acting. "Without those toys?" Chase asked with that smirk still on his face. Clay knew what he meant when he said "I figured... I'd practice without 'em until I master the new moves. I didn' want ta do any unwanted damage."

Almost playfully, the type of playfulness that is similar to a cat playing with a mouse before it goes for the kill, Chase finally said "I couldn't help but notice that the little arrow near you keeps pointing at me. Any particular reason why?" Clay froze. 'That Rotten Rattlesnake! He Knew!' Clay thought as he quickly snatched the floating arrow out of the air. Chase seemed really amused by that as he said "Oh? Is there something wrong little monk? You seem a bit pale." Clay pulled his hat down a bit, ground his teeth, and said "I'ma... Gunna head on back. It'sa obvious that this place isa taken." as he started to walk away from the Heylin. "Isn't the temple the other way, little monk?" Chase asked with a smirk. Clay bit his lip.

The next thing Clay knew was that the Prince of Darkness was standing right in front of him, this startled the monk and caused him to fall backwards. The Arrow of Destiny fell out of the Xiaolin's grip and landed on the ground, still pointing at the Heylin. Chase picked up the Wu, looked at it, and said almost boardly "I find it strange that Dashi would create a toy that finds one's Soulmate." Now the arrow was pointing at Clay. Chase's amber eyes glanced up at Clay, whom was still on the ground, in-between terrified and ready to fight.

"Well, better then that witch I suppose..." the Haylin warrior said as he stood over the Xiaolin monk. Chase held out his free hand, offering it to Clay, whom just stared at it. With a smile, Chase said "Oh come now, I have no reason to hurt you." Clay glared at the Heylin and said "Yet..." as he stood up without taking that hand. Now smirking, Chase said "True." was he retracted his hand.

"How'd ya find out about tha Arrow of Destiny?" Clay asked as he dusted himself off, not taking his eyes off the other. Chase shrugged and said "I had some suspicious about that toy, so I had one of my Jungle Cats dig up some information on it." "Ya mean ya used yar Jungle Cat ta spied on us," Clay snipped at the immortal. Chase smirked and said "You're smarter then you let on." The Xiaolin glared at the Heylin. The immortal noticed it and just smirked as he said walked away from the Xiaolin monk "Don't worry, little Clay. Neither I nor my Jungle Cats shall harm you." Clay was still glaring at Chase when he said "I know ya always keep yar word, but I know ya're gunna try ta hurt my friends and family." Chase raised a brow as he turned to Clay and said with a smirk "Try too?" Clay nodded and said "I know yar gunna try somethin' so I'ma tellin' ya now. I WILL protect my loved ones from any danger." The sun started to set.

After a minute or so, Chase sighed and said "Such a heart you have. It's also a major weakness." then the Prince of Darkness added with a smirk "I could help with getting rid of that." Now standing tall, Clay said "That may be so, but I'ma not gunna get rid of my heart. *places his right hand over his heart* Because this "Weakness" IS my greatest Strength!"

After another minute, Chase finally said "I'm not going to try to pretend to understand, but a weakness is a weakness." Then walked off, tossing the Wu over his shoulder. Clay caught the Wu. "Do ya even know what a Destined One is?" Clay asked the immortal, whom halted at the question.

The shadows grew.

"Who knows," was all Chase said as he started walking away. That was when Clay said "I think ya do know, but ya're taa scared ta admit it." Chase stopped yet again, turned his head towards the Xiaolin, and said "Me, scared? Surly you jest." Clay shook his head and said "Ya ARE scared of what it means. I don' know why, but I'ma sure ya'll find a way ta come ta terms with it." Clay smiled and added "I'll be willin' ta listen ta ya when ya do." before he left to head back to the temple.

The sun was completely gone by the time Chase finally walked towards his lair. "I fear nothing," Chase muttered to himself as he continued on his way. A image of a smile entered the immortal's head. Chase stopped walking and cased his eyes to the ground. He shook his head, getting that image out of his head. 'That happened so very long ago, it has no meaning now,' Chase thought as he continued on his way, not knowing that he was being watched.

}i{ }i{

ZY: until next chapter :-)


	5. Sides

ZY: A back to school gift for everyone.

}i{ }i{

Eye of the Beholder Chapter 5; Sides.

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Over the next month, seven Wu reviled themselves. The Xiaolin Monks were able to retrieve six of them. Clay noticed that Chase Young was alway nearby, but he never involved himself in the fights. When the Prince of Darkness noticed that Clay was staring, he just smirked and disappeared. This was certainly not giving the Earth Monk a good feeling.

}i{ }i{

"Clay, you all right buddy?" Ray asked Clay when he noticed the other monk just watching the starry sky. "Ya know tha Arrow of Destiny?" Clay said softly as Kimiko and Omi gathered around their friend. Omi smiled and said "Oh, yes, I do indeed. It is safely locked away in the Wu Vault." Clay's eyes moved from the sky to the ground and said "I used it last month... And it led me ta Chase Young..." Kimiko placed a hand on his shoulder and said "Clay, why didn't you say anything?" Clay stated that he just wanted to know if the Wu was telling the truth, which it sadly did, and that he wasn't sure how to tell everyone until now. "So... You and he really are..." Ray started saying but didn't finish the sentence out of the conflict of it all. Clay nodded again and said in a worried tone "He knows what tha Arrow of Destiny does and I'ma... I'ma scared that he'sa gunna... Gunna try and... And find a ta get me ta the Heylin side..."

"Not if you convince him to re-join the Xiaolin side first," Ray said with a cheeky smile. Kimiko raised a brow and asked what he meant by that. Ray shrugged and stated "Come on guys, Clay has the biggest heart of us. I'm sure that some of it'll rub off on the lizard man." Clay frowned and said "Thanks fur remindin' me about that particular fact, Ray. Now I feel as happy as a mouse in a cat convention." Omi was wondered out loud if it was painful to rub one's heart on another.

Who's turn was it to explain the metaphor to the Water Monk?

}i{ }i{ Chase's Lair }i{ }i{

Chase was meditation when his Jungle Cats finally asked their question "Lord Chase, are you actually alright with that Xiaolin Earth Monk being your Destined One?"

"I am quite fine with it. Plus, compared to the other "Self-Proclaimed Evil" in the world, he would actually be an excellent addition to the Heylin side," Chase said calmly, still sitting in a lotus position. The Jungle Cats knew what their master meant, but they weren't sure if it was the "Right" thing to actually do to a Destined One.

}i{ }i{ The Next Day }i{ }i{

The next Wu reviled itself, okay, three Wu at the same time. So the Monks had to slit up. Ray and Kimiko went after the first Wu, Omi and Dojo went after the second Wu, and Clay went after the last Wu by himself. The other monks knew the Earth user could take care of himself, but that wasn't what they were worried about. "Actually guys... I know Chase'll be there... I... kinda want ta talk ta him," Clay said in a serious tone as he headed off towards where Dojo said the Wu was.

}i{ }i{ Ten Minutes Later, in a Marsh }i{ }i{

Clay was searching the tall grass for the Wu, so far no luck. The Earth Monk took a deep breath and closed his eyes. 'Where would I hide a Wu here?' Clay asked himself calmly. Clay opened his eyes and muttered to himself "Up!" so he started looking up at the few trees that were there. Nothing so far.

"Birdwatching, Little Clay?" Asked a VERY familiar voice.

A sigh escaped Clay's lips before he said "I think ya'll know what I'ma lookin' fur, Chase." The Prince of Darkness chuckled as he jumped down from the next tree over from the Xiaolin Monk. Sed monk stood his ground and asked "Ya'll've been keepin' yar distance from me fur an entire month, were ya just waitin' till I was alone?" With a smirk, Chase said "You certainly ARE smarter then you let on. Pity you waste it on searching for these trinkets." Clay folded his arms and said "I'd rather not have ten thousand years'a darkness." before continuing his search for the Wu. Chase just followed the monk.

"Ifa ya're not gunna look fur tha Wu, or helpin' ta look fur it, then tell me why ya're here?" Clay asked not looking at Chase. The Heylin warrior smirked and said casually "I just happen to be passing through." Clay shook his head and asked if Chase could tell him the truth. The Prince of Darkness chuckled, moving a little too close to the Xiaolin Monk, and whispering into his ear "So you really want me to tell you that I been watching your every move?" Clay joltied away and stated that Chase was stalking him. "Stalking is such a strong and ugly word. I prefer to use "observe", after all I am Observing you and looking for a way to show you the power of the Heylin side," Chase said with sinister grin on his face. Clay then snapped in anger "Ya'll can keep yar Heylin gabber out of this!" Clay's face showed his disapproval. "Ooohhh, that's a good look on you," Chase said, licking hs lips.

Clay wasn't sure if he was red with anger or not. "How the sam hill are YOU my Destined One? This an't makin' any sense," Clay said, going back to searching for the Wu. Chase's amber eyes kept on his target. "Not everything has to make sense, Little Clay. Some thing are ment to simply be," Chase said before adding "Like you turning to the Heylin side." Clay knew his hands were shaking with rage, he knew that Chase saw this, so he tried to calm himself when he said "Or ye returnin' ta the Xiaolin side." Chase scoffed and stated that he had no reason to be on the side of good. Clay just stopped moving when he said "Do ya even remember what it was like ta be good? Or do ya just not want ta remember?"

The next thing Clay knew, he was on the ground with Chase's foot crushing his chest. The Earth Monk looked up to see the Prince of Darkness glaring at him and putting more preasue on his chest. Clay's hands wrapped around Chase's ankle in a feeble attempt of removing the limb. "I said that I have no reason to return to the Xiaolin side," Chase hissed out in rage, turning into his reptilian form. 'What...if...I...ga...ve...ya...a...rea...son...ta...' Clay thought silently, it was really hard to breath with the lizard man crushing his lungs.

After a few seconds, Chase realized what he was doing and he quickly removed his foot from the Earth Monk's chest. Clay coughed in the air and rolled to his side, cluching his chest. Chase kneeled next to Clay and asked if he was alright as he reached out a hand. The Earth Monk slapped the hand away and coughed out "No thanks ta you." "I'm sorry... I didn't mean..." Chase managed to get out before Clay bolted as soon as he was on his feet. The Earth Monk didn't need to hear or want to be around the Prince of Darkness.

Once Clay was out of sight, Chase punched the ground in anger. "Damn it!" Cursed the reptilian. Of all the things to do, he had to do THAT. 'I was suppose to convince him to join the Heylin side, not force him away!' Chase growled. He needed to calm down, this kind of rage was of no use to him. That was when he noticed Clay's cowboy hat a stone throw away from him. It must have fallen off when the monk either fell or bolted.

Chase picked up the hat as he morphed back to his human form.

}i{ }i{ That Night }i{ }i{

Omi, Dojo, Ray, and Kimiko got their Wu and were waiting for Clay. The Earth Monk arrived, covered in mud, had the Wu in hand, was missing his hat, and had a melancholy look on his face. "Clay, what happened?" Kimiko immediately asked. "Nuthin'. Let's just head on home," Clay said in a huff. The others knew SOMETHING had happened to Clay. After all, the Earth Monk never said the word "nothing" when he was asked a question. So they decided to ask when Clay was in a better mood.

}i{ }i{ Chase's Lair }i{ }i{

The Jungle Cats knew something was wrong with their master, but none wanted to ask in fear of his rage.

Chase was out of his armor and was laying on his king sized bed facing a window that showed the starry sky. His chest felt very heavy at the moment, like someone had just ripped out his heart. Remembering the look on the Earth Monk's face as he was crushing his lungs and the look of distrust afterwards was the reason Chase's felt this way. It just hurt. 'I really shouldn't have reacted the way I did, but his question... Damn it... I should have controlled myself better. Now, he'll never give me an opening...' Chase thought as he rolled away from the window. Clay's hat was right in front of the Prince of Darkness.

Chase reached out towards the hat, but he remembered Clay slapping his hand away and stopped. Chase pulled his hand away and just stared at the object for a bit. The slap didn't really cause much pain, so... Why did it hurt sooooo much? Chase finally grabbed the hat and held it close.

For some reason, the scent on the hat smelt nice to the Prince of Darkness.

}i{ }i{ The Xiaolin Temple, The Next Day }i{ }i{

Clay was still in that same mood. Kimiko and Ray tried to get him to talk to them, but nothing. Omi and Dojo tried too, but they were completely blunt about it. That caused Clay to actually snap at them. What ever happened must have been bad. "I'ma sorry, little buddies, but it'sa just... I don't really wanna talk about it," Clay apologized as walked away. Now everyone was WORRIED about their friend.

}i{ }i{

Clay was sitting near one of the koi ponds on the temple grounds. "Something on your mind young monk?" Master Fung asked as he sat next to the Earth Monk. Clay sighed and said he didn't want to talk about it. "Holding something as strong as a storm in will only make it worse as it is kept in rather then let out," Master Fung said in his wise old monk tone. Kimiko, Ray, Omi, and Dojo were listening in on the conversation, after using the Changing Chopsticks to shrink in order to avoid being seen.

"So... Ya'll are sayin' that if'a I don't tell someone about my lastest encounter with Chase, it'll get worse as time goes on?" Clay asked the older monk, whom nodded and said "You've already experienced the effect of it." The Earth Monk cast his gaze to the calm water. Master Fung was right, he's already snapped at his friends for asking.

After a good minute, Clay finally told Fung the story about what happened to him and Chase in the Marsh. The older monk calmly listened. "... He tried to apologize, but I just ran away before he could finish..." Clay said finishing his tale. Fung put a hand on the younger monk's shoulder and said "Clay, you did not run away, you simply removed yourself from the situation." Clay muttered that it felt like runing away. "From what you told me, from what happened, you made the right choice," Fung stated, then added before Clay could ask how it was the right choice, "Chase has lived for a very long time, you know this, but because of that the only allies he has are the Jungle Cats and has no real connection to anyone else. I believe the closest connection he has is with Monk Master Guan, and I'm sure you know what kind relationship that is." All the monks knew that it was the most terrible kind of relationship, the best of friends becoming bitter enemies.

"So... How was "removing myself from the situation" a good thing?" Clay asked Master Fung, whom replied "By showing him that in a relationship, every action done has a consequences. Clay, it's obvious he IS trying to establish a relationship with you. *Clay muttered "Not tha kind I was hopin' fur"*. That too is also obvious. And by removing yourself from the situation, you were telling him that what he did was causing you to be driven away." The shrunken monks weren't sure what to think at the moment.

"Now, I am sorry to ask you this, but do you remember what set Chase off exactly?" Master Fung asked Clay, whom replied "Well... We were talkin' about him gettin' me ta tha Heylin side and I asked if'a he remembers what it was like when he was on the Xiaolin side..." Master Fung said "I believe that is the problem in this relationship." Clay was now confused. "If this relationship is completely focused on the sides of good and evil, then it is doomed to fail before it can even start," Fung said as he walked away, leaving Clay to his thoughts.

The shrunken monks decided to leave before Master Fung descovered them here.

}i{ }i{ That Night, When Everyone Was in Their Respective Beds }i{ }i{

Clay thought over what Master Fung had said, but this time around he understood what the older monk meant. And now, Clay knew what he had to do when he and Chase cross paths again.

}i{ }i{

ZY: Until next chapter.


	6. What is Said and What is Done

Eye of the Beholder Chapter 6; What is Said and What is Done.

}i{ }i{

Not even a day later, Chase Young showed up outside the Temple, a bit of a distance away. Omi and Dojo saw him but before they could say or do anything, the Prince of Darkness turned away and left. Neither knew what to say or do, so they reported this to Master Fung.

"I see, young monk," was all Fung said. "Master Fung, should we worry about an impending attack from him?" Omi question in a worried tone. "I don't think that was why he came by," Master Fung said walking into the temple. "Then..." Omi stated catching up to the older monk and added "Why did he come by?" Fung said in his wise old man tone "I believe you already know, Young Monk."

Omi and Dojo had a look on their faces that stated that they knew EXACTLY what the older monk meant. How long did he know?

}i{ }i{

Clay was playing the Morpho Musical in violin form. It was really helping him think. 'It'sa good idea, but how in tarnation am I gunna get Chase ta follow along with it?' Clay thought to himself. He had came up with a rather good plan, but no way Chase would go along with it. At least not willingly.

}i{ }i{ Four Hours Later }i{ }i{

The monks were searching for the next Wu, the Dove Ribbon of Promise. The Wu was basically a Wu that makes people keep their promises. Dojo did state that the Wu was mainly for those small promises that people tend to forget. "So if you use the Dove Ribbon to promise to take out the trash or something like that, you'll remember to do it?" Kimiko asked the dragon, whom nodded yes.

}i{ }i{ In a Forest }i{ }i{

The monks found the Dove Ribbon sitting in a low hanging branch that was just out of Omi, Rai, and Kimiko's reach.

"That was most easy," Omi said happily as Clay walked up to the branch, since he was the only one tall enough to reach the Wu. "A little too easy," Rai stated in a suspicious tone. "Where are the other baddies?" Kimiko asked as Clay was fishing the dove-like Wu with the long ribbon, which seemed to be out of sight, out of the tree.

Omi said "They are probably thinking that this Wu is not worth taking." "I don't know," Rai said in that same suspicious tone.

"Got it!" Clay stated as soon as he grabbed ahold of the dove section of the Dove Ribbon of Promise.

The Wu started glowing, indicating that TWO people are touching it at the same time!

"I believe that a Showdown is in order, if I am reading this right," said an all to familiar voice. The four monks looked up.

It was Chase Young!

The Prince of Darkness jumped down, gracefully, from the trees, not releasing his grip on the ribbon section of the Wu. With a smirk, Chase stated "I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown."

The Earth Monks scowled and hissed out "Ya rotten-! Ya already knew where this here Wu was! And ya positioned it so only I could reach it!"

"You really are smarter then you seem," Chase said with an amused look on his face. Clay glared at the Prince of Darkness. Chase smiled, he found that glaring look on the Earth Monk's face quite appealing.

"What's your game Chase?" Rai asked, not liking the situation at all. Kimiko and Omi got into fighting poses.

Chase glared at the Wind Monk and said in a tone that was an odd mixture of seriousness and playfulness "Game? I believe I choose "Sidewinder Race" to be the "Game" of this Showdown. First person to cross the finish line first on their serpent boards, wins. You game, Little Clay?"

Rai frowned. He knew the Heylin wasn't answering the question on purpose. 'What is he planning?' thought the Wind Monk.

Clay huffed and said "I don' really have much of'a choice, do I... What Wu are you bettin'?"

"No Wus," Chase said almost casually.

Clay raised a brow and said "It'sa not much of'a Showdown if'a yar not bettin' somethin'... Unless... Yar thinkin' 'bout bettin' somethin' else." Now the Earth Monk was understanding what the Heylin was planning, and he wasn't liking it.

Chase smirked.

The Xaiolins could feel their stomachs drop.

"I an't joinin' tha Heylin side," Clay stated, plain and simple. He KNEW what Chase wanted, and he sure as hell that he was NOT going to give the Heylin what he wanted.

"Then what do you want to wager instead?" Chase said almost playfully, the kind of playfulness that a sadistic sniper would use in a survival game.

Clay bit his lip a bit before finally saying "We'll wager a request."

Chase raised a brow when he said "A request? Care to elaborate on that, Little Clay."

So Clay explained, "Basically, tha winner can "ordar" tha loser fur one thin', an' one thin' only, the loser's gotta fallow that order. Just tellin' ya now, no Xiaolin or Heylin request, got it?"

"Fine with me," Chase said with a smirk. He already knew what he was going to request.

"Let's go! Xiaolin Showdown!" Clay and Chase shouted the same time.

The terrain started changing into a rugged mountain, with the Monks, Prince of Darkness, and the Jungle Cats at the top of it.

"Gong Ye Tempai!"

The Xiaolin Showdown has begun.

}i{ }i{

To be Continued...

}i{ }i{


	7. Shall We?

ZY, Eye of the Beholder Chapter 7; Shall we?

}i{ }i{

ZY: Going to skip some of the parts of the Showdown to get to the main part of the chapter.

}i{ }i{

Both Chase and Clay were gliding down the rocky surface on their serpent-like board, neither letting the other keep the lead for long. So, it was basically a pretty close race.

Rai, Kimiko, Dojo, and Omi cheered for Clay.

The Earth Monk and the Heylin Prince of Darkness were neck and neck as the finish line to the Xiaolin Showdown was inching closer and closer.

Chase smirked at Clay as he pulled ahead of him. The finish line was in their sights. The Earth Monk knew he needed to think of something quick if he wanted to launch himself to victory.

'THAT'S IT!' Clay thought.

"Shoku Jupiter! Earth!" Clay exclaimed as he slammed his right foot to the ground. The next thing everyone knew, Clay was flying over Chase's head on his board. The Heylin Prince of Darkness couldn't do anything but watch the Earth Monk soar above him towards the finish line.

The determined look on Clay's face, the light hitting his face, and the angle... Chase couldn't help but stare with a slight pink tint on his cheeks.

Clay somehow managed to contort himself so he land board first as he crossed the finish line. The other Xiaolins cheered with joy when that happened.

The environment morphed back to its original form the moment the Earth Monk crossed the finish line.

The other Xiaolin Monks gave Clay a victory hug.

The Monks snapped their heads the moment they heard the Jungle Cats growl. The Jungle Cats were gathered around their master. Chase had his hands behind his back when he stated in his usual collected tone "It appears that you have won, Little Clay."

Clay stood in front of his friends and said "Yeah, I have."

"So," Chase stated and added "What would be your request?"

Things were quite for a bit before Clay finally said nervously "My request is... Ummm, for, uhh." Whatever this request is, it seems that it was something that was hard for the Earth Monk to vocalize.

"MYREQUESTISFURUSTAGOONASERIESOFDATES!" Clay finally shouted with redden cheeks.

Everyone froze.

Chase blinked a bit before asking in a rather, uncharacteristically, shocked tone "Um, could you repeat that again, but a bit slower."

Clay took a deep breath and said softly "My request is fur us ta go on a series ofa dates..."

Everyone in the area blinked.

"D-dates?" Chase squeaked out. Yes, Chase Young actually squeaked!

Clay dug his right heel into the ground and said nervously as he lowered the brim of his hat over his eyes "Well, ifa we're Soulmates an' everythin', I figured we should get ta know each othar better. And when we're on these dates, we an't a Xiaolin Warrior an' a Heylin Warrior, but as Clay an' Chase, ya know, just us..."

Chase was quiet. He wasn't sure what to think at the moment. Dates? The request, which would have the loser do whatever the winner wanted, was a series of dates?

"Umm, we can alternate choices on where we go on these dates ifa ya want," Clay said nervously as he scratched his cheek.

Omi, Rai, Dojo, and Kimiko just watch the whole thing, none said a single word.

"Since you DID win the Showdown, I have to comply with the conditions of the Showdown. You... Can pick the first date... " Chase sated as he turned his back to the Xiaolin warriors in order to hide his reddening cheeks.

Clay smiled a bit and said "Well, there's a carnival coming ta a town a ways away from tha temple in a few days... I figured it would be a good place ta start."

Chase looked over his shoulder and said "To be honest... I have never actually been to a carnival before."

This got everyone's attention pretty quickly.

"Ya kiddin'!" Clay couldn't help but vocalize. Chase regained his usual composer, turned to the monks, and stated "I assure you, I do not kid."

"Then, ya'll wouldn't mind going," Clay nervously asked the Heylin Prince of Darkness, whom replied calmly "You won the Showdown, I have to comply with your wishes."

Clay folded his arms and said "Then ya'll wouldn't mind wearing something casual on this here first date. We an't going on these dates as warriors, so there'sa no need ta wear any armor."

With a smirk, Chase said "I assure you, I do have clothing that isn't armor. You will see so on our first date." Before he started to leave with his Jungle Cats. "I'll send one of my Jungle Cats to the temple to get a confirmation on the location of this carnival and our date time," Chase stated with his back to the monks before he vanished with his Jungle Cats in tow.

Nothing but the wind moved for a while.

"Well, he didn't say he didn't want to go," Kimiko said with a shrug. Clay rubbed the back of his neck nervously and agreed.

}i{ }i{ A Few Days Later }i{ }i{

Clay set the day and time of their date, which was tonight. And Chase was simply looking through his clothing to find something casual to wear. Easy, right? Wrong!

Chase's eyebrow twitched as he looked through his closet. 'I MUST have SOMETHING that is not meant for battle,' the Heylin Prince of Darkness thought as he pushed aside another armor. How is it that he couldn't find anything casual to wear?

"Lord Chase? Is everything alright?" One of the Jungle Cats, a tiger, asked when he saw the reptilian toss another armor aside.

"Everything's fine, I know I have something that is considered casual here somewhere," Chase stated in a annoyed tone.

A Tiger Jungle Cat raised a brow and asked "You wouldn't happen to be nervous about this date, would you?"

Chase turned pink and snapped "I am NOT nervous! I am simply adhering to the prize conditions that were set for the Xiaolin Showdown. Since Clay won, I have to adhere to his request that we should wear something casual."

The Tiger smirked and asked, almost teasingly, "Oh? Is that so? Then why did you give up on that Showdown with the Earth Monk last second?"

Now Chase's cheeks were red.

"KOJO! IF YOU HAVE TIME TO BE HERE CHATTING! THEN GET OUT!" Chase shouted as he threw a piece of armor at the snickering cat, whom was able to dodge it and left the room.

"Seriously Kojo, don't push Lord Chase like that," a Lion Jungle Cat said with a sigh. A nearby Panther added "He could easily kill you, even if you are his favorite."

The Tiger, Kojo, sat down and said "Oh, come on, don't tell me you guys haven't noticed that Lord Chase threw the Showdown at the last minute." The lion and the panther glanced at each other and to the other Jungle Cats. Alright, alright, they DID notice that their lord and master stopped trying at the last second of the Xiaolin Showdown, but none has said a thing to him. Guess it was just luck that the Monks haven't noticed this particular fact.

"Still, Kojo, don't push him," a leopard told the tiger.

Kojo flicked his tail and said "Fine, I won't. But maybe you can help Lord Chase out with his wardrobe issue, Sai. You're better with that kind of thing."

The leopard, Sai, nodded and carefully walked into Chase Young's room, to help him out with finding something casual.

}i{ }i{

Clay looked himself over in the mirror. He was wearing his usual cowboy outfit, with his signature hat and boots. Okay, so Clay ironed his clothes to make them look neater then they actually were. But, he was still pretty nervous about tonight.

"You look fine, Clay, so stop fidgeting, it's so not you," Kimiko stated, snapping the older monk out of his trance. The Earth Monk adjusted his hat and said "Sorry, Kimiko, but ya can't blame me fur gettin' nervous." Kimiko stated that she understood as she adjusted Clay's neckerchief, before saying "Now, you'd better start heading to the carnival now, unless you actually want to have a cranky reptail on your heads."

Clay nervously chuckled out a "Don't go and give me that idea."

Kimiko could only giggle as she said "Sorry, couldn't help it. Now, have a good time on your date." * Clay nodded with a small smile.

}i{ }i{ On The Carnival Grounds An Hour Later }i{ }i{

Clay was leaning against the carnival sign, he was five minutes early for his date. Not that there's anything wrong with being early, or anything.

"Good to see that you're punctual," said a familiar voice to the Earth Monk. Clay looked up to see Chase Young, whom was wearing what looks like the clothing he wore from when he was on the Xiaolin side but it was green rather than blue. The blond tilted his hat up a bit and said "Well, it'sa our first date, so I fugared bein' early's tha best thing ta do. Also... *cheeks turn pink* Ya'll look nice."

Chase's cheeks turned pink when he replied "Thanks and... You look... Nice too." Clay could tell that complements weren't easy for the other to say. "Shall we?" the blond asked as he motioned towards the carnival. Chase nodded and the two walked into the carnival for their date.

}i{ }i{

Until Next Chapter...

}i{ }i{


End file.
